Facet-Dependent Ni Segregation in a Micron-Sized Single-Crystal Li1.2Ni0.2Mn0.6O2 Cathode.

Elemental surface segregation in cathode materials is critical for determining the phase and interfacial reaction between the electrode and electrolyte, which consequently affects the electrochemical properties. Single-crystal cathodes of Li1.2Ni0.2Mn0.6O2 and Li1.2Ni0.2Mn0.6O1.95F0.05 with octahedral morphologies of (102)- and (003)-dominated facets have been manifested to show enhanced electrochemical properties. However, the surface structural features of such single crystals have not been investigated. Herein, using scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy, we probe the elemental surface segregation characteristics in these single-crystal cathodes. We reveal that Ni surface segregation shows dependence on the crystal facet such that it occurs on crystal facets with a mix of cations and anions but not on the facets with only cations or anions. Furthermore, facet-dependent surface reconstructions are observed, featuring a spinel-like structure at the Ni-rich facet but a rock-salt structure at the facet without Ni segregation. The commonly known Mn reduction appears at the single-crystal surfaces and is more pronounced at the facet without Ni segregation. We further reveal that fluorination leads to stabilization of surface oxygens. This study provides detailed structural and chemical information about the facet-dependent Ni surface segregation and the resulting phase formation in the rather less explored micron-sized octahedral Li1.2Ni0.2Mn0.6O2 and Li1.2Ni0.2Mn0.6O1.95F0.05 single crystals, which is key to further exploration of the electrochemical properties of the cathodes in the form of microsized single crystals.

Multi-omics analysis reveals novel loci and a candidate regulatory gene of unsaturated fatty acids in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr).

BACKGROUND: Soybean is a major oil crop; the nutritional components of soybean oil are mainly controlled by unsaturated fatty acids (FA). Unsaturated FAs mainly include oleic acid (OA, 18:1), linoleic acid (LLA, 18:2), and linolenic acid (LNA, 18:3). The genetic architecture of unsaturated FAs in soybean seeds has not been fully elucidated, although many independent studies have been conducted. A 3 V multi-locus random single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-effect mixed linear model (3VmrMLM) was established to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and QTL-by-environment interactions (QEIs) for complex traits. RESULTS: In this study, 194 soybean accessions with 36,981 SNPs were calculated using the 3VmrMLM model. As a result, 94 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) and 19 QEIs were detected using single-environment (QTN) and multi-environment (QEI) methods. Three significant QEIs, namely rs4633292, rs39216169, and rs14264702, overlapped with a significant single-environment QTN. CONCLUSIONS: For QTNs and QEIs, further haplotype analysis of candidate genes revealed that the Glyma.03G040400 and Glyma.17G236700 genes were beneficial haplotypes that may be associated with unsaturated FAs. This result provides ideas for the identification of soybean lipid-related genes and provides insights for breeding high oil soybean varieties in the future.

Fluorination Effect on Lithium- and Manganese-Rich Layered Oxide Cathodes.

Lithium- and manganese-rich (LMR) layered oxides are promising high-energy cathodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, yet their commercialization has been hindered by a number of performance issues. While fluorination has been explored as a mitigating approach, results from polycrystalline-particle-based studies are inconsistent and the mechanism for improvement in some reports remains unclear. In the present study, we develop an in situ fluorination method that leads to fluorinated LMR with no apparent impurities. Using well-defined single-crystal Li1.2Ni0.2Mn0.6O2 (LNMO) as a platform, we show that a high fluorination level leads to decreased oxygen activities, reduced side reactions at high voltages, and a broadly improved cathode performance. Detailed characterization reveals a particle-level Mn3+ concentration gradient from the surface to the bulk of fluorinated-LNMO crystals, ascribed to the formation of a Ni-rich LizNixMn2-xO4-yFy (x > 0.5) spinel phase on the surface and a "spinel-layered" coherent structure in the bulk where domains of a LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 high-voltage spinel phase are integrated into the native layered framework. This work provides fundamental understanding of the fluorination effect on LMR and key insights for future development of high-energy Mn-based cathodes with an intergrown/composite crystal structure.

Image-activated pico-injection for single-cell analysis.

The addition of reagents into preformed droplets is a crucial yet intricate task in droplet-based applications where sequential reactions is required. Pico-injection offers high throughput and robustness in accomplishing this task, but the existing pico-injection techniques work in an indiscriminate manner, making it difficult to target particular groups of droplets. Here we report image-activated pico-injection (imgPico) for label-free, on-demand reagent supplementation into droplets. The imgPico detects the droplets of interest by real-time image analysis and makes decisions for the downstream pico-injection operation. We studied the performance of different algorithms for the image analysis and optimized the experimental settings of the imgPico. In the validation experiment, the imgPico successfully injected fluorescent dyes into droplets encapsulating one, two, and three cells, respectively, as expected. We further demonstrated the utility of imgPico by targeting droplets encapsulating single cells in droplet-based single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) using exceedingly high cell density, and the results showed that the imgPico effectively reduced the presence of doublets in the scRNA-seq data. With the merits of being label-free and versatile, the imgPico represents a technical advance with potential applications in single-cell analysis.

Left ventricular global longitudinal strain using a novel fully automated method: A head-to-head comparison with a manual layer-specific strain and establishment of normal reference ranges.

BACKGROUND: A novel automated method for measuring left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) along the endocardium has advantages in terms of its rapid application and excellent reproducibility. However, it remains unclear whether the available normal range for conventional GLS using the manual method is applicable to the automated GLS method. This study aimed to compare automated GLS head-to-head with manual layer-specific GLS, and to identify whether a specialized normal reference range for automated GLS is needed and explore the main determinants. METHODS: In total, 1683 healthy volunteers (men, 43%; age, 18-80 years) were prospectively enrolled from 55 collaborating laboratories. LV GLS was measured using both manual layer-specific and automated methods. RESULTS: Automated GLS was higher than endocardial, mid-myocardial, and epicardial GLS. Women had a higher automated GLS than men. GLS had no significant age dependency in men, but first increased and then decreased with age in women. Accordingly, sex- and age-specific normal ranges for automated GLS were proposed. Moreover, GLS appeared to have different burdens in relation to dominant determinants between the sexes. GLS in men showed no dominant determinants; however, GLS in women correlated with age, body mass index, and heart rate. CONCLUSIONS: Using the novel automated method, was LV GLS higher than when using the manual GLS method. The normal ranges of automated GLS stratified according to sex and age were provided, with dominant determinants showing sex disparities that require full consideration in clinical practice.

Structural insights into the ubiquitylation strategy of the oligomeric CRL2FEM1B E3 ubiquitin ligase.

Cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL) family members play critical roles in numerous biological processes and diseases including cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Oligomerization of CRLs has been reported to be crucial for the regulation of their activities. However, the structural basis for its regulation and mechanism of its oligomerization are not fully known. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of oligomeric CRL2FEM1B in its unneddylated state, neddylated state in complex with BEX2 as well as neddylated state in complex with FNIP1/FLCN. These structures reveal that asymmetric dimerization of N8-CRL2FEM1B is critical for the ubiquitylation of BEX2 while FNIP1/FLCN is ubiquitylated by monomeric CRL2FEM1B. Our data present an example of the asymmetric homo-dimerization of CRL. Taken together, this study sheds light on the ubiquitylation strategy of oligomeric CRL2FEM1B according to substrates with different scales.

Structural and functional insights into the lipid regulation of human anion exchanger 2.

Anion exchanger 2 (AE2) is an electroneutral Na+-independent Cl-/HCO3- exchanger belongs to the SLC4 transporter family. The widely expressed AE2 participates in a variety of physiological processes, including transepithelial acid-base secretion and osteoclastogenesis. Both the transmembrane domains (TMDs) and the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain (NTD) are involved in regulation of AE2 activity. However, the regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report a 3.2 Å cryo-EM structure of the AE2 TMDs in complex with PIP2 and a 3.3 Å full-length mutant AE2 structure in the resting state without PIP2. We demonstrate that PIP2 at the TMD dimer interface is involved in the substrate exchange process. Mutation in the PIP2 binding site leads to the displacement of TM7 and further stabilizes the interaction between the TMD and the NTD. Reduced substrate transport activity and conformation similar to AE2 in acidic pH indicating the central contribution of PIP2 to the function of AE2.

Association Between Insulin Resistance Markers and Poor Prognosis in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke After Intravenous Thrombolysis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the significance of insulin resistance markers in predicting poor prognosis in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients after intravenous thrombolysis and to establish the corresponding nomogram. METHODS: From January 2019 to March 2023, the data of 412 patients with AIS who received intravenous alteplase thrombolytic therapy in the Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were selected. Patients were randomly divided into training groups (70%, 288 cases) and validation groups (30%, 124 cases). In the training group, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to establish the best nomogram prediction model. The predictive ability of the nomogram was further evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curve, decision curve analysis, and reclassification analysis. Furthermore, the model was further validated in the validation set. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that systolic blood pressure, diabetes, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, triglyceride-glucose index, triglyceride-glucose-body mass index, ratio of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with poor prognosis in AIS patients after intravenous thrombolysis (P<0.05). Compared with conventional factors, the nomogram showed stronger prognostic ability, area under receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.948 (95% CI: 0.920-0.976, P<0.001) and 0.798 (95% CI: 0.747-0.849, P<0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Triglyceride-glucose index, triglyceride-glucose-body mass index, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels upon admission can serve as markers for poor prognosis in AIS patients after intravenous thrombolysis. The nomogram enables a more accurate prediction of poor prognosis in AIS patients after intravenous thrombolysis.

Defective silicotungstic acid-loaded magnetic floral N-doped carbon microspheres for ultra-fast oxidative desulfurization of high sulfur liquid fuels.

Highly active Keggin-type silicotungstic acid (SiW12) with oxygen vacancy (Ov) defects was encapsulated into the magnetic floral N-doped carbon microspheres (γ-Fe2O3@NC-300) through the facile one-step air pyrolysis of the precursor comprising core-shell Fe3O4@polydopamine (Fe3O4@PDA) and SiW12 to prepare γ-Fe2O3@NC@SiW12-300. The fabricated catalysts were systematically characterized and subsequently employed for the oxidation desulfurization (ODS) of the model fuel. The magnetic floral γ-Fe2O3@NC@SiW12-300 catalyst exhibited nearly perfect catalytic activity, which under mild conditions could remove 100% amount of 4000 ppm DBT in model fuel within 20 min (0.03 g catalysts and n(H2O2)/n(S) of 2). The catalyst activity is mainly attributed to the high activity SiW12 with the Ov defect and its outstanding dispersibility in γ-Fe2O3@NC, along with the high number of exposed active sites. A selected catalyst, γ-Fe2O3@NC@SiW12-300, showed a noticeable turnover frequency (TOF) (110.07 h-1) and lower activation energy (38.79 kJ mol-1) in oxidative desulfurization (ODS) with good recyclability. HO˙ radical was found to be the active species involved in ODS as confirmed by the EPR and scavenger experiments. Additionally, the fabricated catalyst can be conveniently separated and recycled within an externally applied magnetic field.

Microstructural Insights into Performance Loss of High-Voltage Spinel Cathodes for Lithium-ion Batteries.

Spinel-structured LiNix Mn2-x O4 (LNMO), with low-cost earth-abundant constituents, is a promising high-voltage cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. Even though extensive electrochemical investigations have been conducted on these materials, few studies have explored correlations between their loss in performance and associated changes in microstructure. Here, down to the atomic scale, the structural evolution of these materials is investigated upon the progressive cycling of lithium-ion cells. Transgranular cracking is revealed to be a key feature during cycling; this cracking is initiated at the particle surface and leads to the penetration of electrolytes along the crack path, thereby increasing particle exposure to the electrolyte. The lattice structure on the crack surface shows spatial variances, featuring a top layer of rock-salt, a sublayer of a Mn3 O4 -like arrangement, and then a mixed-cation region adjacent to the bulk lattice. The transgranular cracking, along with the emergence of local lattice distortion, becomes more evident with extended cycling. Further, phase transformation at primary particle surfaces and void formation through vacancy condensation is found in the cycled samples. All these features collectively contribute to the performance degradation of the battery cells during electrochemical cycling.

Structural insights into the conformational changes of BTR1/SLC4A11 in complex with PIP2.

BTR1 (SLC4A11) is a NH3 stimulated H+ (OH-) transporter belonging to the SLC4 family. Dysfunction of BTR1 leads to diseases such as congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy (CHED) and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD). However, the mechanistic basis of BTR1 activation by alkaline pH, transport activity regulation and pathogenic mutations remains elusive. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of human BTR1 in the outward-facing state in complex with its activating ligands PIP2 and the inward-facing state with the pathogenic R125H mutation. We reveal that PIP2 binds at the interface between the transmembrane domain and the N-terminal cytosolic domain of BTR1. Disruption of either the PIP2 binding site or protonation of PIP2 phosphate groups by acidic pH can transform BTR1 into an inward-facing conformation. Our results provide insights into the mechanisms of how the transport activity and conformation changes of BTR1 are regulated by PIP2 binding and interaction of TMD and NTD.

Uncovering the candidate genes related to sheep body weight using multi-trait genome-wide association analysis.

In sheep, body weight is an economically important trait. This study sought to map genetic loci related to weaning weight and yearling weight. To this end, a single-trait and multi-trait genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using a high-density 600 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip. The results showed that 43 and 56 SNPs were significantly associated with weaning weight and yearling weight, respectively. A region associated with both weaning and yearling traits (OARX: 6.74-7.04 Mb) was identified, suggesting that the same genes could play a role in regulating both these traits. This region was found to contain three genes (TBL1X, SHROOM2 and GPR143). The most significant SNP was Affx-281066395, located at 6.94 Mb (p = 1.70 × 10-17), corresponding to the SHROOM2 gene. We also identified 93 novel SNPs elated to sheep weight using multi-trait GWAS analysis. A new genomic region (OAR10: 76.04-77.23 Mb) with 22 significant SNPs were discovered. Combining transcriptomic data from multiple tissues and genomic data in sheep, we found the HINT1, ASB11 and GPR143 genes may involve in sheep body weight. So, multi-omic anlaysis is a valuable strategy identifying candidate genes related to body weight.

Obesity-hyperlipidemia, Hypertension, and Left Atrial Enlargement During Stroke in Young Adults.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the association between left atrial enlargement and stroke severity in young adults. We also studied the differences between the normal and left atrial enlargement groups in clinical data. METHODS: A total of 135 young stroke patients admitted to the Department of Neurology of the Taizhou People's Hospital were recruited from January 2018 to December 2021. The patients were divided into normal and enlarged groups by left atrial size. The relationship between the left atrial diameter and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was analyzed apart from the differences in clinical variables. RESULTS: No relationship was observed between the left atrial diameter and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ( r =-0.045 P =0.603). The univariate analysis of both groups revealed that hypertension ( P =0.004), hyperlipidemia ( P =0.001), body mass index ( P =0.000), obesity ( P =0.015), and not stroke etiologic subtypes were associated with left atrial enlargement. In binary logistic regression analysis models, hyperlipidemia 3.384 (95% CI, 1.536 to 7.452), hypertension 2.661 (95% CI, 1.066 to 6.639), and obesity 2.858 (95% CI, 1.158 to 7.052) were significantly associated with the young stroke of left atrial enlargement. CONCLUSIONS: In young adults, obesity-hyperlipidemia and hypertension were significantly associated with left atrial enlargement in stroke.

Investigation of bacterial neuraminidase inhibition of xanthones bearing geranyl and prenyl groups from Cratoxylum cochinchinense.

Introduction: The root of Cratoxylum cochinchinense has been widely used as Chinese folk medicine to cure fevers, burns, and abdominal complications because it contains various bioactive metabolites such as xanthones, triterpenes, and flavonoids. In this study, we estimated bacterial neuraminidase inhibition with a series of xanthones from C. cochinchinense. BNA has connected to various biological functions such as pathogenic bacteria infection inflammatory process after infection and biofilm formation. Methods: The identification of xanthones (1-6) bearing geranyl and prenyl groups was established by spectroscopic data using UV, IR, NMR, and HREIMS. BNA inhibitory modes of isolated xanthones were investigated by Double-reciprocal plots. Moreover, the competitive inhibitor was evaluated the additional kinetic modes determined by kinetic parameters (k 3, k 4, and K i app). The molecular docking (MD) and molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) studies also provided the critical information regarding the role of the geranyl and prenyl groups against BNA inhibition. Results: A series of xanthones (1-6) appended prenyl and geranyl groups on the A-ring were isolated, and compounds 1-3 were shown to be new xanthones. The analogues within this series were highly inhibited with excellent affinity against bacterial neuraminidase (BNA). A subtle change in the prenyl or geranyl motif affected the inhibitory potency and behavior significantly. For example, the inhibitory potency and binding affinity resulting from the geranyl group on C4: xanthone 1 (IC50 = 0.38 µM, KA = 2.4434 × 105 L·mol-1) were 100-fold different from those of xanthone 3 (IC50 = 35.8 µM, KA = 0.0002 × 105 L·mol-1). The most potent compound 1 was identified as a competitive inhibitor which interacted with BNA under reversible slow-binding inhibition: K i app = 0.1440 µM, k 3 = 0.1410 µM-1s-1, and k 4 = 0.0203 min-1. The inhibitory potencies (IC50) were doubly confirmed by the binding affinities (KA). Discussion: This study suggests the potential of xanthones derived from C. cochinchinense as promising candidates for developing novel BNA inhibitors. Further research and exploration of these xanthones may contribute to the development of effective treatments for bacterial infections and inflammatory processes associated with BNA activity.

Engineering the Intrinsic Chirality of Plasmonic Au@Pd Metamaterials for Highly Sensitive Chiroplasmonic Hydrogen Sensing.

Metal helicoid nanoparticles with intrinsic 3D chiral structures have emerged as a new class of plasmonic metamaterials with outstanding chiroplasmonic properties. Despite the considerable potential of metal helicoid nanoparticles in chiroplasmonic sensing, their sensing capabilities remain elusive, stressing the need for the rational chirality engineering of helicoid nanoparticles. In this report, Au@Pd helicoid nanoparticles with engineered chiroplasmonic properties and integrated hydrogen sensing capabilities are rationally synthesized. As chiroplasmonic metamaterials, the Au@Pd helicoid nanoparticles exhibit unprecedented sensitivity for hydrogen chiroplasmonic sensing in the visible range. A significant circular dichroism red-shift as large as 206.1 nm can be achieved when they are exposed to hydrogen. Such a high sensitivity outperforms all the plasmonic hydrogen sensors in the visible range. Besides sensitivity, the chiroplasmonic sensing platform shows a good linear range of 1.5-6.0% hydrogen concentration with higher figure of merit, excellent selectivity, and good reusability. To further demonstrate its applicability, this chiroplasmonic hydrogen sensing platform is utilized to investigate hydrogen absorption and desorption kinetics on Pd. This study heralds a new paradigm for plasmonic hydrogen sensing and highlights the tremendous potential of utilizing helicoid nanoparticles as chiroplasmonic sensing metamaterials by chirality engineering.

N, P co-doped Ni/Mo-based multicomponent electrocatalysts in situ decorated on Ni foam for overall water splitting.

Developing the robust non-precious metal bifunctional electrocatalyst is highly imperative for the hydrogen evolution from overall water splitting. Herein, a Ni foam (NF)-supported ternary Ni/Mo bimetallic complex (Ni/Mo-TEC@NF), hierarchically constructed by coupling the in-situ formed MoNi4 alloys and Ni2Mo3O8 with Ni3Mo3C on NF, has been developed through a facile method involving the in-situ hydrothermal growth of the Ni-Mo oxides/polydopamine (NiMoOx/PDA) complex on NF and a subsequent annealing in a reduction atmosphere. Synchronously, N and P atoms are co-doped into Ni/Mo-TEC during the annealing procedure using phosphomolybdic acid and PDA raw materials as P and N sources, respectively. The resultant N, P-Ni/Mo-TEC@NF shows outstanding electrocatalytic activities and tremendous stability for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), due to the multiple heterojunction effect-promoted electron transfer, the large number of exposed active sites, and the modulated electronic structure by the N and P co-doping. It only needs a low overpotential of 22 mV to afford the current density of 10 mA·cm-2 for HER in alkaline electrolyte. More importantly, as the anode and cathode, it requires only 1.59 and 1.65 V to achieve 50 and 100 mA·cm-2 for overall water splitting, respectively, comparable to the benchmark Pt/C@NF//RuO2@NF couple. This work could spur the search for economical and efficient electrodes by in situ constructing multiple bimetallic components on 3D conductive substrates for practical hydrogen generation.

[The mediating role of emotion regulation strategies between symptoms and anxiety problems in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]. / æƒ ç»ªè°ƒèŠ‚ç­–ç•¥åœ¨æ³¨æ„ç¼ºé™·å¤šåŠ¨éšœç¢å„¿ç«¥ç—‡çŠ¶ä¸Žç„¦è™‘é—®é¢˜ä¹‹é—´çš„ä¸­ä»‹ä½œç”¨.

OBJECTIVES: To study the mediating role of emotion regulation strategies between symptoms and anxiety problems in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: Convenience cluster sampling was performed to select 435 eligible children with ADHD from 10 211 students in 10 elementary schools in Kashgar of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. SNAP-IV Assessment Scale, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents, and Conners Parent Symptoms Questionnaire were used to obtain relevant information. The Spearman correlation analysis and the moderated mediation method were used for data analysis. RESULTS: For the children with ADHD, the score of cognitive reappraisal was negatively correlated with the scores of symptoms and anxiety problems (rs=-0.254 and -0.270 respectively, P<0.001), and the score of symptoms was positively correlated with the score of anxiety problems (rs=0.329, P<0.001). The analysis of mediating effect showed that cognitive reappraisal played a partial mediating role between symptoms and anxiety problems, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.008-0.027, and the mediating effect accounted for 16.10% of the total effect. In addition, sex played a regulatory role in this mediation model (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive reappraisal plays a mediating role between symptoms and anxiety problems in children with ADHD, while sex regulates the relationship of symptoms with cognitive reappraisal and anxiety problems in these children.

[Corrigendum] Human papillomavirus E6­regulated microRNA­20b promotes invasion in cervical cancer by targeting tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2.

Subsequently to the publication of this paper, an interested reader drew to the authors' attention that, in the wound­healing assay shown in Fig. 2C on p. 5467, the data panel for the 'Anti­NC / 24 h' experiment appeared to be the same as that shown for the 'miR­NC / 0 h' data panel, albeit the image had been turned through 180°. After having re­examined their original data, the authors have realized that this figure was inadvertently assembled incorrectly. The corrected version of Fig. 2, now showing the correct data for the 'Anti­NC / 24 h' panel in Fig. 2B, is shown on the next page. Note that this error did not significantly affect the results or the conclusions reported in this paper, and all the authors agree with the publication of this Corrigendum. Furthermore, the authors apologize to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [Molecular Medicine Reports 16: 5464­5470, 2017; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.7231].

[Influence of sleep quality on symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: the mediating role of working memory]. / ç¡çœ è´¨é‡å¯¹æ³¨æ„ç¼ºé™·å¤šåŠ¨éšœç¢å„¿ç«¥ç—‡çŠ¶çš„å½±å“ï¼šå·¥ä½œè®°å¿†çš„ä¸­ä»‹ä½œç”¨.

OBJECTIVES: To study the mediating role of working memory between sleep quality and symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: The cluster random sampling method was used to select 110 ADHD children and 124 normal children as subjects from grade 3-5 students in two primary schools in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. SNAP-IV, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and visual-spatial working memory paradigm were used for investigation and comparison. RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the ADHD group had a significantly higher total score of PSQI and scores of subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, and a higher incidence of sleep quality problems (P<0.001). The working memory score in the ADHD group was significantly lower than that in the normal group (P<0.001). In the ADHD group, the working memory score was negatively correlated with the total score of PSQI (rs=-0.271, P<0.001) and the score of symptoms (rs=-0.439, P<0.001), and the total score of PSQI was positively correlated with the score of symptoms (rs=0.540, P<0.001). Working memory had a partial mediating effect in the influence of sleep quality on symptoms in children with ADHD, accounting for 18.10% of the total effect. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep quality issues are observed in some children with ADHD, and working memory plays a mediating role between sleep quality and symptoms in ADHD children.

Genome-wide unraveling SNP pairwise epistatic effects associated with sheep body weight.

Epistatic effects are an important part of the genetic effect of complex traits in livestock. In this study, we used 218 synthetic ewes from the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Reclamation in China to identify interacting paired with genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with birth weight, weaning weight, and one-yearling weight. We detected 2 and 66 SNP-SNP interactions of sheep birth weight and weaning weight, respectively. No significant epistatic interaction of one-year-old body weight was detected. The genetic interaction of sheep body weight is dynamic and time-dependent. Most significant interactions of weaning body weight contributed 1% or higher. In the weaning weight trait, 66 significant SNP pairs consisted of 98 single SNPs covering 23 chromosomes, 5 of which were nonsynonymous SNPs (nsSNPs), resulting in single amino acid substitution. We found that genes that interact with transcription factors (TFs) are target genes for the corresponding TFs. Four epitron networks affecting weaning weight, including subnetworks of HIVEP3 and BACH2 transcription factors, constructed using significant SNP pairs, were also analyzed and annotated. These results suggest that transcription factors may play an important role in explaining epistatic effects. It provides a new idea to study the genetic mechanism of weight developing.